A number of Suicide Prevention training sessions have been made available between now and March 2025, with limited spaces now available to book.

Promoted by PAPYRUS and funded by both the Department of Health and Social Care Suicide Prevention Fund Grand and Wates Construction, four different sessions have been made available. Training ranges from 30, 90 and 200-minute online sessions right through to a 2-day skill-building workshop.

Sessions available include:

SPARK – Suicide Prevention Awareness, Resource, Knowledge. An introduction to PAPYRUS and suicide prevention:
4th March 2025, 11:00am – 11:30am via Zoom

The key objectives are:

• To increase awareness of suicide and suicide prevention
• To provide information about PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide
• To develop Hope and encourage action for a suicide-safer community
• To understand the importance of self-care.

SPOT – Suicide Prevention Overview Tutorial. What EVERYONE needs to know:
18th February 2025, 10:00am – 11:30am via Zoom

The key objectives are:

• To understand the prevalence and impact of suicide
• To explore the language, and the challenges, when talking openly about suicide
• To recognise the ‘signs’ that may indicate someone is having thoughts of suicide
• To consider how we can all contribute to a suicide safer community.

SPEAK – Suicide Prevention Explore, Ask, Keep-Safe. An introduction to suicide prevention skills:
10th December 2024, 10:00am – 1:30pm via Zoom

The key objectives are:

• To consider the attitudes, myths, and stigma that surround suicide
• To recognise and explore the ‘signs’ that may indicate someone is having thoughts of suicide
• To encourage an open, safe and sensitive conversation about suicide with a person having thoughts of suicide
• To support a safety plan with someone thinking of suicide.

ASIST – Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training: A skills building workshop that prepares caregivers to provide suicide first aid interventions:
26th & 27th February 2025, Sports Hall at The Health Resource Centre (Benwell), Newcastle upon Tyne, 9:00am – 5:00pm.

The key objectives are:

• To consider personal and societal attitudes to suicide
• To learn the most widely used suicide prevention model in the world
• To recognise, and act on, the signs that someone is having thoughts of suicide
• To seek a shared understanding of the reasons for thoughts of suicide and identify reasons for living
• To review current risk and develop a joint plan to keep someone safe from suicide, signposting for further help and community resources as needed.

For further resources and learning opportunities around suicide prevention, please visit our dedicated webpage. On a slightly different note, you can also learn about upcoming opportunities to participate in Mental Health First Aider training throughout 2025 here.